Flying-machine.



H, R. GOFFNIAE,

FLYING MACHINE, APPLICATION FILED $513.12, 1912.

Patented llev. 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR.

H. R; GOPFMAN.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIQATIOH FILED FEB. 12, 1912.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

2 SHE ETSSHBET 2.

WJTNESSE 7 w A TTORNE Y.

l; AEENT FEQ FLYING-MACHINE.

t,t)7'7,258 1 sgeeificationofilettelslatcnt.

Paton ted Nov.

Application and February 12, 1912. Serial no; 677,100.

To 17 1 zr/zonz 51 our concern Be it known that l', lit'ltnltrn'. It.COFF- nnmr, a citizen o; he United t tatea. and a resident of KansasCity, in the county Jackson and State of Hiasourl, have invent edcertain new and useful In'iprorement-s in 1*lyingMachines, of which thetollowing is a specification.

- -J inrent i'on" relates to improvements in 10 flying machines. i 4

One ol'ijeet of my invention is to provide. a eonstrurtion which willretain its'equililr rium and which will not require tiexiug of theplanes or similar conlriv'anees tor prel5 venting lateral tipping orswaying of the machine.

A further object of my invention is to pro ride a front plane guidingmechanism which will aut miatically tend to retain the front guidingplane in the proper inclined position suitable to keep the machine ou aneven keel while it is moving horizontally. H

Still another object of my invention is to provide a frame which will bestrong and which will not yieltljuncler the weight of the operator:uu'tengine, should the machine on triking the ground be tippedforwardly so as to alight only on the forward carrying wheel.

My invention provides further a novel form of carriage frame. which willhave great resistance to strains applied in any direction against; thecarryihg wheels.

other novel features .ot my invention are hereinafter t'ully describedand eiaimed;

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred form of myinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ma chine. Fig. 2 ahorizontal section on the 40 line u?) of Fig. 1.. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on the line. c-a of Fig. '1. Fig. l is an en larged verticalsectional View on toe line c--f of Fig. 'l. 1

Similar reference characters designate similar partsin the ditlerentriews.

lhe frame f the machine preferably in elude? vertical staudarda 1 towhich are se cured horiyontal coneave-convex supp rting planes 2 and 3disposed onev above the other with their concave sides downfithe planesbeing disposed centrally with respect to the machine. l'ly reason ol theplanes being arranged as described, and by reason of the center ofgravity of the machine being lo-' cated below the lower plane 3 and centally with respect to the width and length of the the, base or thewun'i'ne "Ht.-

planes 2 and 3, thefinachine is not liable to lateral tippin but willpreserve an Men heel even when the engine stops. For this reason theplanes 2 and may he relatitely rigid and stationary, as no flexingthereof is required to preserre lateral equilibrium.

The haaefof the frame consisting of hori zontal longitmilinal bars 1"and cross intro 5 is supported by brace rods 6 upon a diamond shapedcarriage frame comprising tourbars 7 haying theirez'ids secured tobearing members S in which are respectively ro'tatively mounted fourcairring wheelstli 'lhe 'diamond shaped carryinr frame is isposed '70with its greatest dimension in ahnement with the h uaitudinal center ofthe machine, one wheei ,il being disposed at nichcorner of thediamoiuil." \Vith this arrangement the carrying; frame has greatstrengtlrto resist strains applied to it in any direction.

1O designates the engine, the base of which is supptn'ted by cross bars11 of the trainer Preterahh; the engine 10 is located centrally h resart to the width and length-of the 80. planefi' (U y 12 is the propellershaft of the engine, said shaft extent'ling, "preferably horizol ltallyrearwardly and havingsecured to it the pro pellet l3. 1 i

'two parallel brace rods 1 t havetheir forward ends secured to thet'or,\"vard.- hearing members 8 and extend upwardly and reap ardlv andha e their'rea-rends securechto u-lever com- 0 prising a vertical tithelowith i upper end secured to the horizontal portion of' a U shaped bar16 is pivoted to a horizontal bar 17 the ends of which extend throughand I are secured respectively to the brace rods 14 5 at a point forwardof the engine 10. Secured to the brace rods l-t between the lever just.described and the cngrine :10 is a 5921618 for Supporting the operatorol the machine.

The flt'rame of the machine is provided at its forward end with twopairs of ts-wwardly extending bar t.) the rear endof which are securedto the forward standarda'l. The forward ends of the ltars ll of eachpair are seeure ,4 a bearing member 20. Livotally 10$ mounted in the.bearingmembers $30 is a horizontal rock slial tzll to which iS.. t'('tllLtl ati tmit'ldlea guiding plane 722. Secured to then-ochshaft;preferably hf; setiserews ill at opposite ends of the plane 22 aredo\\"n\\'ardly extemlin t'l'tlllhfi Li-liot'lllch arecircinul'erentially ad ustable on the rock l e I shaft 21 so that theproper inclination may be given to the plane 22 when the cranks 2a arevertically disposed. A connecting rod -25 has'its forward end bifurcatedand pivtime to the cranks 24:. The rear end of the I rod 25 is pivotedto the tube by a, horizontalpin 26, disposed, preferably, at a point beow the rod or bar 17. The weight of the ro will normally tend to swingthe cranks 24C to the vertical position, so that,

evenif the operator does not grasp the operatin g will nnrnially be heldin the proper inclined Ig/SSltl (ifl, ecessary to retain the machine onu even eel when it is moving forwardly.

The proper inclination of the plane 22 may.

it'and secured thereto two flexible devices,

such as wires or ropes 29 which pass around the wheel in oppositedirections and pass overfwo pulleys 30 secured to the horizontal portionof the bar 16. From the pulleys 301 the wires 29 pass into the tube 15at its upper end and after crossing in the tube pass respectively aroundtwo pulleys 31 mounted in the tube 15 on a horizontal pin 32. The

, two wires 29 then extend rearwardly g which is pivoted in'bearingmembers 36 secured to bars 37, the forward ends of which are secured. tothe rear standards l. A vertical rudder 38 is secured to the-crock shaftmay be swung,and simultaneously theguid-v ing plane 22 may be tiltedmore or less.

through a lateral opening 33 in the tube 15 and are respectively securedto opposite ends of a cross bar 34 which is rigidly secured tothelowerend of a vertical rock shaft 35,

35. By turning the wheel 27 the rudder 38 swingingthe lever on the bar17.

In case the machine in alighting first" strikes on the forward carryingwheel 9, the

' brace rods or bars 14will sustain the weight theeperator and of theengine 10.

The disposition of the ,engine and operating parts of the machine issuch that the center of gravity will be below the plane 3 andcentralwith respect to the length and width of said plane. 'In caseof,the machine falling, this disposition of the center of gravity willcause the planes 2 and 3 to serve as parachutes to retard the velocityof the downward movement.

I Owing to the shape and disposition of the planes 2' and 3 and owing totheir narrow width, compared: with their-length. the machine will not becranky and will not be liable to lateral tipping due to lateral gusts ofwind striking them. This arrangement of the planes 2 and 3 will alsoreduce the lewerpthe guiding vane or plane 22' air resistance to theforward movement of the machine.

By locating the propeller 13 adjacent to the rear ends of the planes 2and 3, the pro peller does not disturb the air in advance of the planes,so that the planes constantly ride .on fresh undisturbed air, therebyexerting a greater sustaining effect than would otherwise be the case.

By reason of the rod 25 being below the rock shaft 21 the weight of saidrod will automatically bring the plane 22 to the proper angle requiredto keep the machine on even keel during forward movement, so that theoperator need not he constantly on guard to keep the machine on evenkeel.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, asmodifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may foe madewithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is v 1. In a flying machine, a frame which in cludes asupporting aeroplane, a carriage frame of diamond shape having itslongest dimension disposed longitudinally and centrally with respect tothe longitudinal center of the machine, four carrying wheels rotativelymounted on the carriage frame and disposed respectively adjacent thefour corners of the carriage frame, and means for supporting the frameupon said carriage frame. I

2. In afiying machine, a frame, an engine supported by the frame. acarriage frame supporting said frame, front and rear carryingwheelsrotatively mounted on the carriage frame and disposed respectively foreand aft of the engine, and an upwardly and rearwardly inclined bracesecured at its lower end to the carriage frame, and secured at itsupperend to the engine.

In a flying machine, a frame, an engine supported by the frame, acarriage frame supporting said frame, \carrying wheels mounted on thecarriage frame, two braces having .their forward ends securedto thecarriage'frame adjacent tothe front end thereof and extending upwardlyand rearwardly and having their rear ends secured tothe engine, anoperating lever pivoted to said two braces, and a seat secured to saidbraces between the lever and engine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificationin thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HURSIIEL R. COFFMAN.

WVitnesses WARREN 1). House, R. E, HAMILTON.

